The theft of lead from a church in Lancashire has been so damaging that it has had to relocate temporarily while essential restoration work is carried out on the fabric of the building.

Father Keith Henshall, the vicar of St John the Divine in Cliviger, near Burnley, has been in post for 18 months. He said there had been a number of lead thefts dating back to the last five or six years.

On occasion, they had not been able to identify the theft straight away until the walls began to leak and dry rot set in.

The rot has also damaged the church's 15th Century seating and Victorian organ.

The church holds the grave of General James Scarlett, who led the charge of the Heavy Brigade in the Crimean War.

Father Henshall, said: "Over the past five or six years there have been a number of lead thefts, some of which we've been able to identify straight away and we've been able to get repairs done.

"In other incidents we haven't realised the lead has gone and we've only become aware of it as the walls have got wetter and that has undoubtedly exacerbated our problems with dry rot."

He told me that part of the problem is the location of the church – at the top of a hill surrounded by fields – made it attractive for lead thieves.

Father Henshall said he hoped the repairs, which need to be funded through donations, would be completed by the end of the year. He appealed for anyone who would like to make a donation to email him at: r.k.henshall@btinternet.com

The problems, he says, are not entirely down to the lead theft. Roof repairs carried out during the 1970s are partly to blame, as silicone was used to patch things up. The roof will now be repaired using lime based materials and Father Henshall says they are rediscovering the genius of the building methods of the Edwardian age.

Security at the church is being upgraded to try to protect against future thefts – with an alarm system being installed.

The church has temporarily moved to the school hall and it is hoped the building work will be completed by the end of the year. Contrary to local newspaper reports, the church has not closed, merely relocated.

Theft of lead and other metals has seen an increase according to police, as criminals cash in on the current high price of metals.